Why Jenny Holzer hates war at the DHC/ART

Since opening in 2006 the DHC/ART Foundation has been offering some of the best art experiences (free of charge) in Montreal: the Sophie Calle or Christian Marclay solo shows were memorable and their sporadic education programs, with talks - like by awesome Guido Van der Werve- and performances, offer great platforms for challenging debates. But the present retrospective on artist Jenny Holzer known for her political text based LED projections and installations is a frustrating disappointment with little, if any, depth. Co-organised with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the main idea is that war and violence are bad things.

Yes my friends, surprisingly Jenny hates war and has selected a few things to demonstrate it. 

These include silkscreened 'top secret' emails between srgt XXX and capt XXX rambling about BLANK's death in Guatanomo Bay, wooden tables covered with (fake? - does it matter?) bones and LED installations with rolling military testimonies on questionable actions.

The only applaud goes to the effort put in the creation of the two huge LED installations in the second building: an impressive first yellow and floor-based work and a second purple one hanging from a wall. But their relative impact emerges more from their size and time-based colourful medium than their actual meaning or message.

Basically the exhibit has the sensationalism of a second-rate newspaper with polarized (hence simplified) notions of evil, while taking itself for a conflict studies seminar. I left with the feeling Holzer's works would be perfect for the Hedge Fund collector's wall: they would say I'm into contemporary art and I'm against war, but I'm rich and all about liberalism.